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The“God Supreme”of the religion “Saivaism” - of India, is identical as that of all the other religions of India and that of the World - "who is none but one". In reality "God Supreme" has “no form” and “no name” and is the supreme power of the universe, who controls the creation, salvation, and destruction, of all living beings and the nature of the universe.

The "Tamil Saiva Saint Maanikkavaasakar" very clearly states in his “Thiruvaasakam” (in Tamil), that “God Supreme“ as - ‘Oar Uruvam Oar Naamam ontrum illaar’ meaning the one without any - "a form" or "a name".

(2) God Supreme represented in three forms in “Tamil Saivaism”

The “God Supreme” in Saivaism was referred to as “God Siva”. He in the Saivaism that developed and practised in Tamil Nadu - known as “Tamil Saivaism” was of three aspects. The “formless” (Aruvam in Tamil), of “semi-form” (Aru-Uruvam in Tamil), and of “human forms” (Uruvam in Tamil).

In the Uruvam form “God Siva” in the Saivaism of Nepal, North & Central India was represented as a human masculine, having - a lock of hair (kontrai) on his head bearing the crest moon and the river Gangai flowing from it, a third eye in his forehead and a blue mark around his neck, holding a trident in one hand and dressed in tiger skins with cobra snakes around his neck and arms,

However in Tamil Nadu of South India he was ‘mainly’ represented as Aadavallaan (Nadarajar), Pennoru Paahaththaan (Arthanaariswarer), Thenmuhak Kadavul (Thetchanamoorthy), Kalyaanasundaramoorthy, Uma Maheswaramoorthy and Somaskandamoorthy, among many others based on his various aspects. All these forms of “God Siva” evolved in Tamil Nadu, as part of the development of the original Saivaism of Nepal in South India.

In the Aru-Uruvam form “God Siva” was represented in Nepal, North, Central & South India and Tamil Nadu as Sivalingam that originated from Nepal, and further developed as Lingothbhavamoorthy in Tamil Nadu with the swan and boar shown above and below the standing Siva in human form, carved out within the vertical face of the Sivalingam or Lingam.

In the Aruvam form “God Siva” was represented as the “Infinite” - of no defined shape - known as “Ongkaaram” in Tamil and “Pranavam” in Sanskrit.

In Tamil Saivaism - eventhough “God Siva” was worshiped in all three forms as Uruvam, Aru-Uruvam and Aruvam, ‘on realisation of him’ by human beings - he was found to be none but one.

This is confirmed by the "Tamil Saiva Saint Thirunaavukkaraser" of the sixth century as follows:

“.......Uru moontraai unarvin kan ontraan aanaai….”

meaning: “……of three forms and on realisation one who became one.......”

The very fact that the God is one but was worshipped in various forms, was well known to the Tamils of Tamil Nadu as early as the third century B.C. This is confirmed by the following reference in the Tamil literary work known as Kurinchippaattu by "Poet Kapilar" of this period.